Biblical Health and Wellness: November 2011

Friday, November 11, 2011

Some Foods Damage, Others Heal

Food pyramid from ihelt.com

In my previous posts, I have mentioned the need to eat real food, which means whole foods that have not been man-made or processed. I've also mentioned the need to avoid other foods that damage your body, particularly the four white poisons -- dairy, refined sugar, refined salt, and refined white flour.

While I have studied this topic extensively from many sources over the years, one excellent source of information I've found is Bee Wilder. She has a website called Healing Naturally by Bee. In this post, I'd like to highlight a few things she teaches, which I think are key.

On her home page, she states: " 'Real' food is medicine! Unprocessed foods direct from nature nourish your body so it can heal itself. Your health is damaged and deteriorated by processed foods, foods that are microwaved or irradiated (zapped with radiation), and foods not properly prepared for human consumption."

Foods That Heal
She gives an excellent list of healthy foods. Her list includes dairy, but based on our research, we concluded that it is definitely not healthy and we have eliminated it from our diet.

One of the things you probably don't expect to see on the list are saturated fats. She points out a fact that many experts have found, which is that our bodies actually need saturated fats. This includes all animal fats, and certain other saturated fats like cold-pressed, virgin olive oil, as well as virgin coconut oil.

Contrary to a myth that was created in the 1950's by a biochemist named Ancel Keys, fat and cholesterol do not cause heart disease. There's an entertaining video called the Big Fat Lie, which covers this. But I'd encourage you to also read what Bee has to say about saturated fats.

Stay away from the unnatural oils that contain unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, like corn, soy, safflower, and canola oil. These go through a hydrogenation process that makes them very unhealthy for your body.

Foods That Damage
I recommend Wilder's article called Foods that Damage, Foods that Heal. In addition to listing the healthy foods, she gives quite a comprehensive list of foods that damage your body. In addition to the ones I've already mentioned, these include grains, nuts, seeds and legumes that have not been properly prepared, and including all products containing them, irradiated and microwaved foods, pasteurized foods and foods that are processed using high heat, genetically modified foods, soy and soybean-based foods, as well as supplements and products containing soy. She states, "Foods must be free of additives, pesticides, heavy metals, irradiation, neurotoxins (MSG, carrageenan, etc.), nitrates, sulphites, etc."

It's important to note that during biblical history there was no such thing as processed or pasteurized food as we know it today. Prior to the industrial revolution, "food processing" was limited to crude methods like natural fermentation, sun drying, smoking, or preserving with natural salt. The food that Jesus and the apostles ate did not contain chemical pesticides, additives, growth hormones, nitrates, sulphites, or neurotoxins. You can be sure they ate whole foods, free of these toxins, which are real food that nourishes your body. And their bodies were vessels fit for the Master's use.

Let me just say a word about MSG, which is an acronym for monosodium glutamate. If you are not aware of the dangers of this poison, I highly recommend your do your research. This substance is a commonly used flavor enhancer in food. Most fast foods contain MSG. It's found in many canned and packaged products westerners eat, including soups, as well as dressings and fast foods. The label will not always say monosodium glutamate or MSG. Often times when there is MSG in a product, it may simply state "natural flavorings" or some other pseudonym. MSG has been linked to Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, asthma, obesity, and a host of other diseases. A good place to start your research is with this video. Some other sources of info on this are the following:

MSG Linked to Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Degenerative Disease by Kathryn Picoulin
The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth about MSG
Monosodium Glutamate MSG Health Dangers and Side Effects of Toxic Additives
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) Causes Obesity
MSG Dangers and Deceptions

Putting it All Together
These are just a few resources I'd like to provide for you to educate yourself on which foods damage and which foods heal your body. As we have implemented these changes into our family's diet, we have seen a significant measure of health restored in a number of areas in our family, including sinus headaches, asthma, and seborrhea. I hope you will find this helpful, and begin making the changes in your diet to remove the toxins and consume the real foods that God created for you to enjoy.

If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ already, this information can help you take the practical steps necessary to be a vessel fit for the Master's use. But if you are not yet one of His disciples, you can't become one by trying to purify yourself physically. Only He can cleanse your heart and make you whole. He loves you with an everlasting love, and He died upon the cross for you, in order to wash away your sin and enable you to be in right relationship with God. That's why I'd like to invite you to give your whole life to Him today.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: This post is part of a series. If you enjoyed it, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar, such as Some Foods Damage and Others Heal and The Benefits of Eating Well. You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master." The views expressed in this blog are not intended as medical advice to treat any condition. Rather they are my personal opinions based on my own research, and do not necessarily represent the views of Doulos Missions International.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International. He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

White Poisons

Most people put poisons into their body every day and don't realize it. They consume foods that are toxic and which cause poor health, but have no idea how much damage they are doing. There are four white poisons I want to talk about today that you should avoid. They are white sugar, white flour, milk and it's byproducts, and table salt.

Sugar
First of all, sugar is a major factor in poor health. Robert Lustig, MD. gave a lecture about this in 2009 that has been reported on in the New York Times and featured on You Tube. Most nutrition experts agree with him. Sugar can cause diseases like atherosclerosis, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's, rectal cancer, hemorrhoids, and many other health problems. In fact, sugar is the source of all chronic disease. Nancy Appleton, PhD. lists 143 reasons sugar ruins your health. She's right, and just think of all the sugar in the western diet. Whether it's cookies, soft drinks, cakes, chocolate, or breakfast cereal, you will find sugar in just about every meal that westerners consume.

Even many of the so-called healthy alternatives contain sugar. For example, look at the ingredients on a commercial box of soy milk or commercial almond milk, and you will find sugar.

But it's not just refined sugar that's bad for you. There are many forms of sugar, including glucose and fructose. Fructose is contained in fruit juices, even the ones that have no sugar added. And when you consume it in high quantities, it's not healthy. Since all fruits contain sugar, it's best to eat the fruits raw in their whole form, and limit your daily intake. This will lower the amount of fructose you consume, rather than squeezing out the juice and drinking it.

Many of the carbohydrates you eat are converted into sugars in your body when digested, and this has an overall net affect on your health, which is not good for you when you combine it with all the other sugars you consume directly. For example, when you eat potatoes, carrots, and even grains contained in bread and cereals, your adding to your sugar intake.

I think this is one of the major causes of obesity in America today, so if you care about your health, cut out the direct intake of refined sugar, including white sugar, brown sugar, and raw sugar. Use a little bit of honey as a sweetener instead. And limit your consumption of carbohydrates that turn into sugar inside your body.

If you would like to do more research on the harmful effects of sugar, I suggest reading Kill the Sugar Before It Kills You: 'Sugar Is the Source of All Chronic Disease', a CBN News article by Lorie Johnson.

Milk
Another white poison is milk and all its byproducts. It's horrible and will kill your family. According to Robert Cohen's "Not Milk" website, this is a bad news substance that has been linked to acne, arthritis, allergies, asthma, autism, breast cancer, constipation, Crohn's disease, depression, irritable bowels, lactose intolerance, Lou Gehrig's disease, migraines, multiple sclerosis, obesity, osteoporosis, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, and many other diseases. I've researched this out thoroughly and found that what Cohen says is true.

Eighty percent of the protein in milk is casein. This substance is very harmful to your body. It's the same glue used to hold your furniture together and to affix labels to beer bottles. When you consume it, your body creates histamines and it generates lots of mucus. And the pasteurization process renders casein into an inorganic substance that cannot be digested. So it doesn't do your body any good to drink milk.

And just think of all the dairy westerners consume each day. In addition to drinking milk directly, it's an ingredient in many of the processed foods you eat. Then there are all the cheese products in foods like cheeseburgers, pizza and lasagna. There's all the butter you use for cooking, put on your toast and in your recipes.

A great case in point concerning the harmful effects of dairy is the Scandanavians. Denmark, Norway, Holland, and Sweden have the highest rates of osteoporosis as well as breast cancer. There is also a high prevalence of cardiovascular disease (coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension). Dairy products (from cows, goats, and reindeer) are heavily consumed. In addition to drinking milk, Scandanavians also have a high intake of sour cream, buttermilk, and cheese. Cheese is generally served at every meal. This should help you to see how dangerous this substance is to your body.

If you are concerned about getting enough calcium, you should know that protein inhibits your body's ability to absorb calcium, and milk is liquid protein. So it's not the best source of calcium. If would like to find good, healthy sources of calcium, then check out this chart.

If you would like to do more research on your own, I suggest you watch the interview with Robert Cohen, see his website called Not Milk, read The Great American Milk Myth, by Dr. Charles R. Attwood, as well as the Deadly Dairy Deception, by Dr. Robert Bibb, MD., and the FAQ on the Scandanavian Diet.

I've done the research and I say one of the best things you can do for your health is get rid of the dairy.

Salt
Typical salt is "chemically cleaned". This is another deadly substance. When you consume processed table salt, you do a lot of harm to your body. Over time, you increase your blood pressure and cause a hardening of the arteries.

You'll find refined salt in most of the foods you eat as part of a western diet. And most of the common salts have toxic chemicals that pollute your body. You can read more about this from Bee Wilder. But what your body needs are salts that have not been processed with chemicals, such as unrefined sea salt or naturally harvested Himalayan salt, which contain many trace minerals needed for optimal health. You would do yourself a favor if you switch to real salt and avoid foods containing refined salt.

White Flour
This is the last one I will discuss. White flour is made from whole grains that have been processed. This process renders the grain devoid of most of its nutrients. To further add insult to injury, chlorine is used as an industry standard chemical agent to bleach the flour, which gives it a longer shelf life and removes the odor. This is the same chemical in the bleach you use to remove stains from your laundry. Dr. Joseph Mercola explains this process and why white flour is bad for you, especially bleached white flour.

What you end up with is a food that is full of empty calories. And you'll find white flour in breads, dumplings, pastas, and all sorts of baked goods. This is another food to avoid, if you care about your health. Replace it with wheat flour, which has not been bleached.

Putting it All Together
Now that I've shown you why these four substances are toxic, stop and think about how the western culture promotes their consumption beyond even the normal daily diet. In the Spring, people consume high quantities of these poisons around Easter time and Mother's Day. In the summer, these are part of graduation parties, picnics and holiday parties like Father's Day, Memorial Day, and Independence Day. In the fall, Halloween and Thanksgiving give people another reason to indulge in these poisons. And then in the winter, you've got more opportunities to do so at Christmas, New Years, and Valentines Day. In between all those, you have all the birthday parties. It's no wonder westerners are so sick and diseased when we regularly consume so much poison in our diet.

I want to be clear that I am not forbidding anybody from eating these foods. "For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving..." (1 Ti 4:4). You can eat them if you like, but I am simply presenting facts about them, so that you can make wise decisions for the sake of your health and that of your family.

If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Bible says that your body is a member of Christ (1 Co 6:15). That means you should take good care of it. If you would like to take a step toward improving your health, then begin cutting these white poisons out of your diet and replacing them with healthy, nutritious alternatives.

Author's note: This post is part of a series. If you enjoyed it, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar, such as Some Foods Damage and Others Heal and The Benefits of Eating Well. You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master." The views expressed in this blog are not intended as medical advice to treat any condition. Rather they are my personal opinions based on my own research, and do not necessarily represent the views of Doulos Missions International.

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Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Physical Exercise

Jack LaLanne

Most of us don't get enough exercise in the Western world. We often have sedentary jobs and don't move our bodies enough. We sit all day long and then wonder why we're so stiff, aching, sick, and tired.

You've got to get your body moving. Use it or lose it. If you are a disciple of Christ, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, so you need to be sure and take good care of God's temple.

For many years now I've tried to keep a simple, calisthenic exercise routine each day. I begin most days with about twenty to thirty minutes of stretches, push ups, jumping jacks, leg lifts, ab crunches, and stair climbing. It's better than nothing, but I know I should do more than that.

I recently rediscovered Jack LaLanne, the late nutrition and fitness expert who became famous through his televised work out program, books, lectures, and fitness equipment. Many of the pieces of equipment you see in the gym today were invented by him. And he performed many amazing feats of strength throughout his life, right up until his old age. I have a great deal of admiration for him. On his seventieth birthday he towed 70 rowboats, one with several guests, from the Queen’s Way Bridge in the Long Beach Harbor to the Queen Mary (1 mile), while handcuffed, shackled, and fighting strong winds and currents. He worked out for two hours a day right up until the day before he died in January 2011! I remember watching him on TV when I was a little boy and following along with his exercises. I teach my children to exercise every day. And I've introduced them to LaLanne's program, which is still available online through his website.

He used to say that exercise is king and nutrition is queen. He pointed out that many athletes can eat a lot of junk and get away with it, because they exercise so much. But if they stop exercising, they become out of shape and fall into poor health. It's true that if you exercise vigorously, your body will be more able to tolerate the stuff you put into it.

I agree with LaLanne that if you want to be healthy and feel well, you should put the right stuff into our bodies. This combined with exercise is a great way to maintain the fitness of this body the good Lord has given you. It's wise to do a thirty minute workout at least three or four times a week. If you can use weights, that's great. Otherwise, at least do some vigorous exercises to get your blood flowing and muscles moving.

Avoiding Extremes
But your physical exercise should be Christ centered. As with everything you do, it should be for the purpose of glorifying God, and you should be careful not to go to extremes.

Jesus didn't have a work out program. But his lifestyle was one of regular physical activity. He worked as a carpenter for most of his life and was probably in great shape from the hard manual labor he did. Then during his ministry, he walked all over the country preaching the gospel in towns and villages. So a formal exercise program as we know it was unnecessary.

Physical fitness and building up your body can become an idol, and some people fall into this trap. The apostle Paul said, "For bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." (1Ti 4:8). All that exercise is only of little benefit to you. When you stand before the Lord one day after your earthly life has ended, it won't make any difference whether you were physically fit, if you lost your soul. Jesus said, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mat 16:26). We're not trying to save our lives but to lose them for Christ. Jesus said, "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." (Mat 16:25)

The most important thing is to discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness. This has value for all things. It will benefit you in the present life and the life to come.

Fit for the Life to Come
While I think LaLanne was a great nutrition and fitness expert, I do want to point out some erroneous things he taught.

In his earlier days in the fifties and sixties, he did speak about the Lord quite often. He would always point out that "the good Lord" gave you this body and what an amazing gift it is from Him. He would often end his program by giving the Aaronic blessing, "May the Lord bless you and keep you." And he acknowledged the miracles of Jesus.

But he also said that "God helps those who help themselves," and this is not biblical. There is no place in Scripture where you will find that saying. Instead the Scripture teaches that it's when we're weak that He shows Himself strong. It's when we stop trying to save ourselves and ask Jesus to do it that He is able to save us.

There is certainly a biblical basis for diligence, faithfulness, and exercising your faith with good deeds. And often times when it comes to our health, the answer is to stop smoking, stop doing drugs, stop overeating, stop eating junk food, and start eating your vegetables. These are practical things we can do to improve our physical condition. And as LaLanne taught, you should pray fervently to God, asking Him to help you to make this difficult changes.

But LaLanne often stated that he had been "reborn" through attending a series of health lectures. He had been a sugarholic until he was fifteen years old. After hearing those lectures, he radically changed his life and began to eat right and exercise. His life was turned around 180 degrees. And he would often give examples of others who experienced a radical life change through physical fitness, saying they had been born again.

However, I need to point out here that there is only one way to be born again ,and it's not through physical fitness. You can only be born again when you repent of your sins and put your faith in Jesus Christ, surrendering your life to Him and inviting Him to live in your heart. In my own personal salvation testimony posted online, you can read about my experience of being born again. When I cried out to Jesus to save me, and repented of my sin, He came and set me free from my harmful addictions that were destroying me. He gave me a brand new life, and He'll do the same for you. You can read more about Entering the Kingdom of God in another one of my blogs, and I encourage you to do that.

Unfortunately, in his latter years, LaLanne's teaching became heavily influenced by the New Age movement. For example, at age 91, in an interview with Dennis Hughes from Share Guide, he was asked about spirituality. He repled: "You have to be pretty stupid to think there isn't a Supreme Being to put all this together. Do you think that man could ever make a heart that is indestructible? Do you think that man could make a calculator like your brain? Do you think that man could ever make a machine that the only way you could hurt it is don't use it? Could man make a machine that in every 90 days practically every cell changes? Think about this. Look at all the creatures, the snakes, the worms and the birds, and the entire universe and everything that goes on. Don't you think there is a universal power, that there is some Supreme Being that put this all together? You don't have to call it God or Jesus. That's religious humbug to a lot of people, but you've gotta believe that nature and spiritual things surround us. That is what put us here! I thank the universe for that every day of my life."

When he said you don't have to call the Supreme Being God or Jesus, he's wrong. When he said he "thanks the universe every day," that's not the same man I remember from his early days on television, and it's simply not Scriptural. The Bible tells us that God made the world and all that is in it (Jn 1:1-3). He made the sun, moon, stars and the entire universe. All things came into being through Him. And He loved the world so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, so that all who would believe in Him would not perish but have eternal life (Jn 3:16). Jesus said "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (Joh 14:6). There is no other way to God, except through Jesus Christ.

Putting it All Together
So the priority should be your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Check your heart and make sure you are listening to the Lord's voice, obeying His commandments, and living a godly life. Be sure you are feeding daily on His Word, the Bible. Fasting is one of the disciplines that you can learn to incorporate into your life. And getting plenty of rest each week is another biblical key. Those need to come first. Without them you'll end up malnourished and sick.

In addition to these spiritual priorities, you should try to get regular exercise and good nutrition by drinking lots of clean water and eating plenty of whole foods like fresh vegetables, fish, poultry, fresh fruits, and whole grains. In our family, we've cut out all dairy from our diet, along with the other white poisons, and we're feeling much better for it. These are some of the keys I have found to experiencing health and wellness the way God intended it for you.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.

Author's note: This post is part of a series. If you enjoyed it, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master." The views expressed in this blog are my personal opinions based on my own research, and do not necessarily represent the views of Doulos Missions International.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

When We Are Not Healed

In my previous post, I discussed the power of God to heal all sickness and disease. It's true that He has that power and He still heals today! But what do you do if you don't feel better right away?.

Believe Without a Doubt
James taught that if you lack wisdom, you should ask God. He wrote:

"But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." (Jam 1:5-8)

If you have not begun to feel better in answer to prayer, and you don't know why, then you need wisdom from God to know the reason for the delay. This passage applies to you. Ask the Lord to give you wisdom on your health condition, and believe without a doubt that He will give you what you've asked for. If your double-minded about it, then don't expect to receive anything from the Lord, and that includes your healing. You must believe it is God's will to heal you.

Sin Can Cause Sickness
James also taught that if any disciple of Christ is sick, he should call upon the elders to pray for him and anoint him with oil (Jam 5:14). The prayer of faith will make the sick person well. And James goes on to say that if the sick person has sinned, he will be forgiven (Jam 5:15)

If you get angry and slam your fist through a wall, your sin will probably cause a health problem in the form of a swollen or possibly broken hand. If you get drunk and have some kind of accident while walking or driving, you may end up with broken bones. If you get drunk often enough, you may also end up with liver problems and more. My point is that any sin can certainly cause sickness, not just anger or drunkenness.

One sin that keeps so many people from getting healed is unforgiveness. This is when you refuse to forgive someone who has hurt or offended you. Jesus said that if you don't forgive others, God cannot forgive you. Jesus said, "For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions." (Mat 6:14-15) Since there is a connection between forgiveness and healing, you can delay your own healing until you forgive. Once you completely release the person who offended you, then you can receive forgiveness for your sins from God, and your healing will come.

When we follow God's instructions outlined in James, and we confess our sins to one another, we will be forgiven and healed. "Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." (Jam 5:16)

Warning: Sin Can Be Fatal!
Let me add just a few comments about death. Cigarette boxes now have ominous warnings to consumers that smoking can cause diseases like emphysema and lung cancer, and even lead to death. Similarly the Bible has warnings like that about sin.

James explained that “when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” (Jam 1:15). So sin can ultimately lead to death. The apostle John qualified that for us when he wrote, “All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.” (1Jo 5:17) This is an important clarification, because it means there is a sin that does not lead to death.

In the same passage, John taught us to pray for our brother in Christ, if we see him committing such a sin. “If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this.” (1Jo 5:16). I think this is very important.

Notice John added a caveat here, when he said that there is a sin leading to death. And he did not teach us to pray for a brother or sister committing such a sin. A couple examples would be lying to the Holy Spirit and blaspheming Him. You can read about a couple of first-century believers, named Ananias and Saphira, in Acts 5, whose sin of lying to the Holy Spirit resulted in their death. The apostles did not pray for them or extend mercy to them.

Jesus said that all the sins and blasphemies of men can be forgiven, except the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. "Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin" (Mar 3:28-29). Sin can be fatal! It doesn’t get more serious than that! We should consider ourselves adequately warned.

Now let's look at two quick examples of people who were not healed, and it was not because of sin or doubting.

Timothy's Chronic Stomach Problems
We know that Timothy, a pastor during the first century, had frequent stomach problems. Since the apostle Paul worked closely with him, and God used Paul to perform many miraculous healings, we would expect that God could have healed him when Paul prayed for him. But that didn’t happen. Therefore, Paul’s instruction for him was to use a little wine with his water. He wrote, “No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.” (1Ti 5:23)

Paul's Illness
In his letter to the Galatians, Paul speaks about his illness. He says, "But you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time; and that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition you did not despise or loathe, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself." (Gal 4:13-14). Apparently Paul initially preached the gospel to the Galatians because of his illness, so his illness was the reason for his first visit to them.

Some believe this illness was in his eyes, since he told the Galatians, "Where then is that sense of blessing you had? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me." (Gal 4:15). The Galatians initially felt blessed to have Paul visit them, and even though his illness was a trial to them, they did not despise him. They received him like an angel of God, or as if Jesus Himself were visiting them. In fact, he says that they would have plucked out their own eyes and given them to Paul, if they thought that would help him.

He ends his letter saying, "See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand." (Gal 6:11). In doing this, he seems to be drawing their attention to his handwriting with large letters due to his poor eyesight. Most likely it was a way of authenticating that it was really him writing, and not an imposter. So it is quite possible it was an eye ailment. But whatever it was, we know Paul had an illness for some indefinite period, and there is no reason to believe it was due to any sin on Paul's part.

Practical Reasons
Lastly, let me just say that sometimes there are practical reasons why you are not healed in answer to a prayer of faith. For example, you may not be eating a proper diet. I recall one man telling me that when he received prayer for healing, the answer to prayer was the revelation that he had not been eating his vegetables. Once he started eating them, he felt better.

Most westerners eat a diet that is loaded with toxins, which make the body sick. But they have no idea that these things are contributing to their illness. In another post, I will cover the four White Poisons. These are just four of the most popular poisons westerners eat, but there are many more.

Another practical area is exercise. Some people experience many of their aches and pains because they do not stretch or exercise their muscles. I will discuss this more thoroughly in another post on physical exercise. But suffice it to say for now that if your healing has been delayed, and the Lord has not shown you a spiritual reason for it, you should consider lack of exercise as a possible culprit.

The last practical area I'll mention is rest. In our western culture, we generally don't get enough rest. With electricity, we have light twenty-four hours a day, so we can go to bed as late as we want to. Many people stay up late and get up early, not giving their bodies time to rest, which is necessary for your cells to rebuild. It's often times not until some people get sick with a fever that they finally rest, but only out of necessity.

My wife says that usually if she feels like her immunity is becoming run down or she is beginning to feel ill, she'll try to get some rest, and when she does so, she feels much better. I know someone else who had a back injury due to the way she had slept on her bed. She took pain medication for her back pain, and tried to keep going with her normal routine of housekeeping and home school teaching. But unless she kept taking the pain killers, the pain persisted. The injury was not healing. Finally she took a week off from everything and just laid in bed. Her husband cared for the children and did the cooking and cleaning during that week. And that was all she needed. After that, her back was completely healed.

If your healing has been delayed after receiving prayer, please consider whether you are getting proper rest. That includes your daily rest and your weekly rest. What I mean is that the Lord commands us to give to Him one day each week on which we do no work. On that day, we are to rest, worship Him, pray, fellowship, and do good. It's called a Sabbath rest and is one of the ten commandments. The Lord commanded: "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy." (Exo 20:8-11). Neglecting this commandment has physical, as well as spiritual and emotional consequences. For more on this topic, I highly encourage you to see my blog on Resting from Work.

Putting it All Together
I believe, the norm is for the Lord to heal us all in response to the prayer of faith. But when you don't feel immediate results, you need to hold onto your faith in God's promise. As believers in Jesus Christ, we walk by faith and not by sight or feelings. You should also pray for wisdom.

If you are walking in idolatry or some other area of direct disobedience to God, then this can be the reason you are still sick. Confess your sins to God, repent of them, ask forgiveness in Jesus name and produce the fruit of repentance. He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 Jn 1:9). It may even be that the Lord wants to show us how to eat properly or exercise through this unpleasant experience. It could be a signal that we are not getting proper rest or that we are neglecting the Sabbath.

When you ask Him for wisdom regarding your health condition, believe that He will grant it and He will. Ultimately our healing is in His hands, not ours, and so is the timing of it.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.

Author's note: This post is part of a series. If you enjoyed it, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar, such as Healing is in the Atonement , The Role of Demons, and The Power of God to Heal. I also recommend my daughter's poem, Faith Should Not Depend on Feeling, which she wrote the same day she received a divine healing in her body. You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Power of God to Heal

I cannot emphasize enough the key aspect of faith in healing. It’s not just about the foods we eat or about avoiding toxins. Sometimes it’s too late and we’ve already followed a poor diet or been exposed to the toxins. When we come to Jesus in faith, asking Him to heal us, we should believe that He will do it and He will. I have seen this happen many times in my own life and in the lives of my loved ones.

The late Jack LaLanne, a famous nutrition and fitness expert, once said, "I spoke to my mother recently and she told me that the two most important vitamins you need are F and G. Remember that: F and G. That's faith-in-God. When you have those, nothing is impossible for you!"

This is very important for us to keep in mind. Jesus is merciful. He forgives all our sins and heals all our diseases, according to Psalm 103. When we come to Him in repentance and faith, we can ask Him to heal us and fully expect Him to do so. His question for sick people who came to Him was often to find out whether they believed He could heal them. And then when they did believe, it was done according to their faith.

In fact, James teaches that believers who are sick should call upon their elders for prayer. He wrote, “Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” (Jam 5:14-16).

Notice that we are supposed to call upon the elders to pray for us when we’re sick. This means you need to be part of a church where they believe the Bible and still do this. The elders are supposed to pray over the sick and anoint Him with oil in the name of the Lord. James says that when they offer such a prayer in faith, the Lord will restore the sick person to health.

But he also makes a statement about sin in direct connection with this. “If he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.” Sometimes we are sick because of sin. I know some people have abused this and when people don’t get healed, they tell them it must be due to some sin in their lives. Uncaring people who have said such things have hurt folks. Yet it is still true -- sin leads to emotional and physical illness, especially the sin of unforgiveness! This is why we need to repent of these sins and confess them to one another. James says, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed.”

The power of God is still able to heal in the same way Jesus did two thousand years ago. As James says, “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

How to Heal the Sick
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, who has received the baptism with the Holy Spirit, and you would like to learn how to heal the sick, I encourage you to spend a couple weeks, watching the 15-hour video series by Charles and Frances Hunter called How to heal the Sick. Each lesson is one hour long, so I recommend watching one hour per day. It actually took me about three months to watch all of them, but they were all excellent. Charles and Frances Hunter prayed for thousands of people to be healed, and you will see many of those healings on this series. But this couple not only functioned in the gift of healing, they taught others how to do so. You may either watch the series at the following links on Youtube, or you can purchase it from Joan Hunter Ministries for around $60 USD:

The full playlist for this entire series is at this link, but the videos are not in the proper order in the playlist, so using the above video links will enable you to watch them in their proper sequence.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.

Author's note: This post is part of a series. If you enjoyed it, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar, such as Healing is in the Atonement. I also recommend The Name of Jesus and my daughter's poem, Faith Should Not Depend on Feeling, which she wrote the same day she received a divine healing in her body. You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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The Role of Demons

Sometimes demons play a role in sickness. In the Old Testament Bible, we read of Satan's role in Job's disease, and in the New Testament gospels, we can see the part that unclean spirits had in the sicknesses of many people who were brought to Jesus.

Some people treat all illness and disease as though it was a demon, but Jesus did not do that. It requires spiritual discernment to know whether a demon is involved.

Sometimes Jesus would command a deaf or mute spirit to come out and when it did, the person’s speech and hearing was restored. The same was true with those suffering from seizures (fits). Once Jesus cast out the demon, they were no longer afflicted with the seizures.

But other times, Jesus dealt with disease differently. For example, he healed one man by spitting in his eyes and laying hands on him. “And they came to Bethsaida. And they brought a blind man to Jesus and implored Him to touch him. Taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, ‘Do you see anything?’ And he looked up and said, ‘I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around.’ Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly." (Mar 8:22-25)

On other occasions, He simply spoke a word or touched the person and they were healed of blindness, lameness, leprosy, and all kinds of diseases. For example, He simply said to a blind man, “Go! Your faith has made you well.” (Mar 10:52).

He healed all who were brought to him. In fact, there were times when even after an illness ran it’s course and brought the person to an early death, he raised them from the dead. He simply spoke their name and told them to arise. He gave His apostle the same power from the Holy Spirit to do what He did.

So while demons do play a role in many mental and physical disease conditions, they are not always the cause. Careful discernment is required in each situation to know when there is demonic activity involved.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.

Author's note: This post is part of a series. If you enjoyed it, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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The Cause of Disease

When we meditate on God’s Word, we will find that the Bible has much to say about health and wellness. It speaks of various diseases and how to deal with them. The Scriptures teach proper health and hygiene on topics such as hand washing, quarantine, circumcision, proper treatment of dead bodies, and proper disposal of human feces (Num. 19, Lev. 13:46, Gen. 17:12, Deu 23:12-13)

The Bible even addresses alcohol abuse, and instructs us to be filled with the Spirit, rather than drunk with wine Eph. 5:17-18.

There are numerous diseases related to alcoholism (Prov. 23:19-21, 29-34). These include damage of nerves and body organs, damage to newborns, and sexual disorders. But in addition to these, there are also many highway deaths and broken homes that result from alcohol abuse.

Healthy sexuality
The Scripture teaches us to avoid sexual immorality I Thess. 4:3-5. Homosexuality, incest and adultery lead to terrible consequences such as debilitating, sexually transmitted diseases and neurotic behavior. Those who violate God's instructions concerning sexuality not only affect themselves directly, but also create problems for society as a whole.

Emotional wholeness
The Bible teaches us the role of faith in coping with stress and dealing with anger (Ps. 23, Prov. 29:11) There are numerous psychological disorders and aberrant behaviors that result from our failure to exercise faith in Jesus Christ.

None of these diseases
Many years ago I read an excellent book, called None of These Diseases, written in 1967 by doctors S.I. McMillen and David E. Stern. It has recently been revised, and is still in print. While I don’t agree with every single point they made, I do agree with much of it.

The main premise of the book is that we should live the lifestyle God commanded, and when we do we can claim the promise found in Exodus 15:26 that we will have "none of these diseases."

Harmony with the Creator
It is said that ever molecule oscillates at its own unique frequency. And the authors of this book teach that there are about 150 trillion DNAs and cells in our bodies. They state, “The human body is living in divine health when the 150 trillion cells are in the same frequency or harmony with the creator. Each cell has a north and south pole and generates galvanic electric power.” – S.I. McMillen, David E. Stern

They go on to write, “The harmony or frequency in the cell arrangement is disrupted with negative emotions that originate in the human mind.” S.I. McMillen, David E. Stern. I agree. When we enter into sinful emotions or behavior, we disrupt our own inner health and well being. This adversely affects our body at the smallest cellular level. This underlying, unhealthy state of our being predisposes us to the development of illness and disease.

Some people would say that this teaching advocates mind control, such as that taught by the New Age or by so-called Christian Science. The authors of the book make a clear distinction that sets this apart from such false practices. They state, “The original and true mind control is the impartation of the mind of Christ that occurs through a spiritual metamorphosis when the born again experience takes place.” S.I. McMillen, David E. Stern. I agree with this. Christ must control our minds. When we have the mind of Christ, then we are free and at peace. We are able to do that which pleases our Creator, and which leads to divine health.

Fear is the primary negative emotion
Along these lines, the authors note that fear is the primary negative emotion in life. This is what the Word of God teaches. Satan keeps people in bondage by constantly enslaving them with the fear of death. If you think about it, most of what people are concerned about can be traced back to a basic fear of death. This fear is a force that disrupts our spiritual, physical, and emotional well being. This opens the door to a host of health problems.

Love is supreme
So what is the biblical answer? The Bible teaches “Perfect love casts out all fear.” So when you love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and you love your neighbor as yourself, then it dispels all that fear. You are not a slave to it any longer. You are free to love, and this is a major key to divine health.

Like Solomon wrote, “Better is a dish of vegetables where love is Than a fattened ox served with hatred.” (Pro 15:17). If there is love inside your heart, then you’re better off eating a simple meal that doesn’t taste so great than eating a delicious feast that includes fatty meat when there is hatred inside your heart.

The authors also admonish us to “ALWAYS KEEP BURIED IN YOUR MIND THAT WORDS ARE SEEDS AND PRODUCE AFTER THEIR KIND.” -- S.I. McMillen, David E. Stern. So it begins with a thought, and our thought becomes a word. That word then produces after its own kind and we get what we say. The words then beget physical actions, which can become habits. Those habits then become a lifestyle. And once we develop a lifestyle, it secures our destiny. This can work for good or for evil in our lives and the lives of those we touch.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.

Author's note: This post is part of a series. If you enjoyed it, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Eating Real Food

The worldly teachers believe that our primary concern is putting the right foods into your bodies. You've heard the saying, "You are what you eat." It's true. What we put into our bodies has a great deal to do with whether we will experience good health or not.

I agree with many of the things that nutritional experts like the late Jack LaLanne have taught. Jack often taught, "If man made it, don't eat it." And "if it tastes good, spit it out!"

No doubt there are foods that damage and foods that heal, which I'll discuss further in another post. I believe we should study and learn which foods are healthy, and seek to eat those, rather than the ones that are unhealthy. For example, in our household, we seek to eat whole foods. We eat real food, not man-made, processed stuff that comes in a box.

The fallacy of living on bread alone
Yet this is only a partial truth. Jesus taught that natural food is not enough to sustain us. When He fasted for forty days without any food, Satan tempted Him to turn a stone into bread. And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE.'" (Luk 4:4).

Contrary to what we think, it’s not just the natural food that sustains us. It’s the Word of God. As Paul wrote to Timothy, “We should be nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine.” We should feed on the meat of God’s Word and do what Jesus commanded. You can eat all the right foods, but if your diet not include lots of Scripture, then you are malnourished.

Strengthened by grace, not by foods
“Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited.” (Heb 13:9)

So many today are in the fast lane on the information superhighway, searching for answers to their health problems. They want to take charge of their own health and find the cures. They want to know what foods they should or should not eat, so that they can be healed of their sickness. But most of this teaching leaves God completely out. And it’s easy even for Christians to get carried away by it.

We have some health problems in our family. I have done the research and it is so draining. It’s like going in circles, because the conclusions of one author about what you should and shouldn’t eat contradict those of another author. One says you should eat a certain food in order to be healthy and the other one says you should not eat it. I myself have almost gotten carried away by the various and strange teachings about proper nutrition.

In a way, it’s similar to my initial search for spiritual truth. I was looking in all the wrong places, including Buddhism. But then I found Jesus and the Truth set me free. It was liberating and broke the bondage in my life.

Now with this search for health answers on what foods to eat, it’s much the same. The search becomes wearying. Then the Lord reminded me that Jesus is the Truth, and we should go back to the Bible for our answers on health.

It’s not that the information available in books and on the internet is completely untrue. Much of it is helpful, but it’s also full of half-truths. Many of the health advocates point out that the medical professionals isolate illnesses or diseases, rather than treating the whole person. They point out that we must treat the whole person, if we are to help make people well. I agree. But our whole being includes our spirit and soul. The body is simply our tent.

Putting it All Together

Therefore, we should be placing a very high emphasis on our spirit and emotional well-being, not simply focusing on the body, as though that represents the entire human being. This spiritual health emphasis begins with a relationship with Jesus and obedience to his commands. It’s not about yoga and New Age meditation. These will only carry us further away from Christ. Our strength must come from his grace, not from foods. Our eyes must be fixed on Him. Our meditation must be on His Word. And our lives must be lived in accordance with it.

Does your diet include reading the Bible daily and asking God to speak to you through it? Do you do what it says? This has far greater importance than what we eat.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.

Author's note: This post is part of a series. If you enjoyed it, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Fasting

Fresh vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet.

There may be a time when you are fasting, and you need to abstain from eating what is offered to you. This can happen whether you are on a total fast from all food or a limited fast from certain foods. An example of this would be a vegetable fast, in which you eat only vegetables for a defined period of time.

The prophet Daniel did this successfully. When he was in exile in Babylon, they brought him the royal food and wine to eat and drink. But Daniel made a personal choice not to eat it, because he did not want to defile himself with this food. So he kindly asked that they feed him and the other Hebrew men with him only vegetables and water for ten days. He said, "Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink.” (Dan 1:12). The test worked. He and the other Hebrew men were healthier looking after ten days on vegetables and water than the non-Hebrew wise men who ate the king’s choice food and wine.

That was under the Old Covenant, before Christ. Since Jesus has declared all foods clean, we no longer need to be concerned that any food will defile us. Paul said that he was able to even eat meats that had been sacrificed to demon idols. He said, “But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat.” (1Co 8:8). So he was free to eat it. However, he was guided by love, and would not eat such meat if it offended the conscience of another disciple that felt it was a sin to do so.

Our motive for fasting, therefore, should not be to avoid spiritual defilement. But fasting is a normal part of life for the disciple of Christ. Jesus said, "When you fast..." and then gave instructions on how to do so with a right heart. He didn't say, "If you fast..." (Mt 6:17).

He Himself fasted for forty days without food or water on one occasion. It's not advisable to try this. One reason is that most of us are too accustomed to eating three meals a day, and we are full of toxins. If we were to try this kind of complete fast for that long, it could be enough to kill you. But there are other kinds of fasts that you can do for shorter periods.

If your desire is to fast for biblical reasons, the Word of God tells us what our motive should be. "Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke? "Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?" (Isa 58:6-7). This kind of fasting is pleasing to the Lord.

When you fast in this way, you can expect to see a beneficial change in your own life. The passage of Scripture I just cited about godly fasting goes on to say: "Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will speedily spring forth; And your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' If you remove the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, And if you give yourself to the hungry And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness And your gloom will become like midday. And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail." (Isa 58:8-11)

The light of God will come forth from your very being and be evident in your eyes. You will experience recovery. The Lord will protect you. Your communion with God will be firmly reestablished. It will even provide an emotional lift. It'll give strength to your bones, and you will be rejuvenated like a garden that's been watered well.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.

Author's note: The IHOP Kansas City has an excellent set of fasting guidelines that I recommend reading. This post is part of a series. If you enjoyed it, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Eat What is Set Before You

Jesus gave instructions to His disciples for their ministry of traveling and preaching the gospel. It required them to find a man of peace in a town or city they entered and then stay with that person who would welcome them. He did not want them to become a burden to their hosts, but rather a blessing. So He taught them, "Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat what is set before you;” (Luk 10:8).

These same instructions apply to us today. When we begin to follow these strict, extreme diets that severely limit what we can and cannot eat we can get into weirdness. Can you imagine if those of us today who travel for the gospel would complain about the food our host places before us? Can you imagine this scenario? A preacher sits down at the table in someone’s home, and says, “I can’t eat any of these, because I’m following a special diet.” And then he tells his host which foods he can eat. This could create a big problem for his host, especially if they are poor or have a large family to feed.

Now when I have stayed in people’s homes, I am often asked by the hostess whether I have any dietary restrictions she should know about. This is very kind. But if they don’t ask, then whatever they set before me, I give thanks and eat it. There have been a couple exceptions to this, when I am visiting someone and they put out some desserts that I cannot eat. I may graciously decline for health reasons. But if I am staying there and they are feeding me a meal, then I cannot reject the meal they have prepared. I’m just grateful they have received me with such love and prepared some food for me to eat.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.

Author's note: This post is part of a series. If you enjoyed it, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Which Foods Are "OK" to Eat?

There was an ancient religious belief that what goes into a person defiles him spiritually. Likewise in our modern, scientific world, we’ve come to believe that the germs or foods that go into us make us sick. The idea is that sickness comes from the outside and goes into the body. But here is what Jesus taught.

After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, "Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man. ["If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."] When he had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable. And He *said to them, "Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?" (Thus He declared all foods clean.) And He was saying, "That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. "All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man." (Mar 7:14-23)

The Pharisees and all the Jews did not eat unless first they carefully washed their hands. This was one of the traditions of the elders that they observed. But in doing so, they invalidated the Word of God. Nothing outside a man can defile him if it goes into him. This includes germs and foods. Jesus declared all foods clean. So what defiles a man?

You've heard the saying, "You are what you eat"? Fitness and nutrition expert, Jack LaLanne, used to say, "The food you eat today is walking and talking tomorrow." It's true that what you eat is used by your body to build cells, so that food you put into your mouth becomes part of your body. But Jesus said it’s what proceeds out of the man that defiles him. It’s about the heart. This includes things like evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. So perhaps we should coin a new phrase, "You are what comes out of your mouth."

Whether we wash our hands before we eat is not the primary concern. Instead our concern should be bringing glory to God. This is why Paul taught, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1Co 10:31). If you are doing everything for God’s glory, including your eating and drinking, then you will be aware that while all things are lawful, not all things are beneficial or profitable (1 Co 6:12). That means that even though you are permitted to eat any food, not all foods are good for you to eat.

For example, as the first century Jerusalem Council decreed, you should "abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood." (Ac 15:20). That means you will do well to avoid eating meat that is either sacrificed to idols, or comes from strangled animals, or has the blood still in it. In fact, you should not eat any blood, even if it is no longer in the meat, as in the case of blood sausage and blood pudding. Likewise, there are other things that you may choose not to eat, because they are unhealthy for you, even though you are permitted to eat them. If you live this way, you will be careful about what you eat, but you won’t need to be focused on what goes into your mouth. Instead you will be Christ-centered.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.

Author's note: This post is part of a series. If you enjoyed it, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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